Man Utd have reportedly set their sights on Juventus winger Douglas Costa as a potential alternative if they can’t land preferred target Jadon Sancho.
The Red Devils have been heavily linked with the Borussia Dortmund starlet for months now, but whether it’s his valuation from the Bundesliga giants or the expectation that spending will be limited this summer due to the coronavirus pandemic, there are doubts that a move will materialise.
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With that in mind, it appears as though United could have a back-up plan in mind, as Calciomercato report that Costa has emerged on their transfer radar and they’ve joined Barcelona, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain in a potential transfer battle for his signature.
It’s added that he would effectively be considered as an alternative to Sancho, although it’s also suggested that Juventus sporting director Fabio Paratici could then use the Brazilian international as a possible bargaining chip in a bid to prise Paul Pogba back to Turin.
Whether Juve can offer enough money to go with a player swap remains to be seen, but it would appear as though Man Utd might hold an interest in signing Costa this summer to give Ole Gunnar Solskjaer another option in the final third if Sancho can’t be prised away from Dortmund.
It will be up for debate as to whether or not that’s a smart move, as Costa has continued to struggle with a lack of consistency and injuries this season, scoring just two goals and providing five assists in only 18 appearances.
That has been the story of his spell with Juventus as a whole, and so eyebrows may be raised over the touted interest from Man Utd as there are surely more reliable and consistent options on the market.
Nevertheless, their preference will seemingly be Sancho, and so it remains to be seen if that’s a deal that can be done in the coming months.